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Two hundred and forty-eight

I know you’re probably thinking exactly what I was thinking when I heard that “National Sandwich Day” is a holiday: what sandwich company made that one up to sell more sandwiches?! Apparently it is the 293rd anniversary of the birthday of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, and supposed inventor of the sandwich. The legend has it that: “this Englishman was said to have been fond of gambling. As the story goes, in 1762, during a 24 hour gambling streak he instructed a cook to prepare his food in such a way that it would not interfere with his game. The cook presented him with sliced meat between two pieces of toast. Perfect! This meal required no utensils and could be eaten with one hand, leaving the other free to continue the game. Sadly, the name of real inventor of the sandwich (be it inventive cook or the creative consumer) was not recorded for posterity.” (foodtimeline.org)

Of course the actual National Sandwich Day in America didn’t start until much later. The earliest printed reference Food Timeline can find comes from Chases’s Calendar of Annual Events, 1981 (p. 110), although there is no record of where or when it was originally created. Of course companies like Subway and Ziploc have taken full advantage of the “holiday”, having National Sandwich Day contests and using it as promotion.

Either way, sandwiches are very popular in our world of convenience and eating on-the-go. According to the National Restaurant Association, the sandwich is the second most popular lunch choice by full-time employees (fruit being number one), with hamburgers being the most popular type of sandwich (informationweek.com). Whether a marketing tool or not, I love sandwiches, so I don’t have a problem celebrating them today. So Happy National Sandwich Day!

It is also Japanese Culture Day, held every year on November 3rd to promote, culture, arts and academic endeavor – if you want to eat some sushi and watch a video of the Feudal Lord’s Procession that happens every year in Yumoto Onsen, Hakone. “A procession of a total of 170 people dressed up as samurai warriors and princesses parades over a distance of some 6 km in the hot spring town.” (Japan National Tourism Organization)

Spending the entire day at the cemetery (like some do in Mexico) by myself seemed both insulting to the tradition and a little creepy. I’m sure I’d be kicked out when I started trying to give skull candies to any youngsters passing by while draping colourful home-made garlands over gravestones. Without a community to support me, I’d have a hard time explaining what I was doing. And the thought of having a picnic on top of a buried coffin made me feel a little uncomfortable. I’m also not Catholic and therefore spending the day at church seemed like a wrong choice as well. I don’t know of anyone who recently passed away who needs praying for to help their journey from Purgatory into Heaven.

I do, however, appreciate the day to remember my family and friends who have passed away. So, on my way to visit my parents, I stopped in on my grandfather’s grave. A man I deeply respected, who spent countless hours driving me to and from swimming practice when I was a competitive swimmer as a teenager, was calm and kind and I still hold a special place in my heart for. I put a chrysanthemum on his grave and spoke aloud to him to thank him for being an inspiration to me and to wish him well wherever he may be. Sometimes we need to remember where we came from to have guidance of where we are headed to.

As I was going to bed I almost forgot to leave an offering for the spirits in Purgatory who returned to Earth for the night. I searched my parents’ cupboards and found Ritz crackers and a tomato – not much of an offering, but it will have to do.